1. Field
Example embodiments relate to micro-heaters and methods of manufacturing the same.
2. Discussion of Related Art
A conventional micro-heater generates high-temperature heat locally on a substrate by application of power. A conventional micro-heater may be applied to various types of electronic devices which require a high-temperature manufacturing process or a high-temperature operating process. Examples of such conventional electronic devices include a carbon nanotube transistor, a low-temperature polycrystalline silicon or thin film transistor, and a TE field emission source for a backlight unit.
In a conventional micro-heater, a heating element for heat generation and light emission is formed using a method including sputtering, e-beam evaporation, or the like. The materials in the resulting heating element have a columnar structure. However, when the micro-heater is heated, the materials in the heating element are re-crystallized. The recrystallized materials have a weaker solidity than those having a columnar structure.
When the heated micro-heater is cooled again, the length of the heating element of the micro-heater is decreased. Therefore, the heating element is subjected to tensile stress. As a result, the heating element may break, because the solidity of the materials has been weakened by the re-crystallization.